The Reader
by The Frisky Firelily
Summary: Once upon a ship so silent, as my thoughts turned dark and violent...Poor rewrite of Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Raven'


**TITLE: **The Reader

**DISCLAIMER: **Not mine

**A/N: **Ok, so I love reading the Raven, thought I'd play with the patterning and stick it in this little fic series. Don't actually think it's one of my better poems, just felt like playing around. The Raven belongs to Edgar Allen Poe.

* * *

Once upon a ship so silent, as my thoughts turned dark and violent,

As I gave my girl's a shinement after Mal's last plan gone raw.

As I sat and polished Vera, in my bunk I stayed for fear 'a,

All the bitchin' that the Cap'n was doin' on the upper floor.

Suddenly I heard a creepin', as if some small mouse was sneakin',

As if somethin' was a peekin', peekin' down my bunks closed door.

I ignored the little sounds, cuz on our ship such noise abounds,

As the crew complete their rounds before we land on Rim or Core.

As the crew complete their rounds so that our safety they assure,

Only crew and nothing more.

Still the air around me changed, as if some flowers rearranged,

Scents of lilies so deranged spoke of the strangeness I'd endure.

My eyes narrowed as I looked there, shocked to see the locks of brown hair,

Staring down upon my bunk bare, bare of pictures of my whores.

The brown locks were long and curly, and I muttered 'what's up girly',

Wonderin' why my eyes were surely staring at her face so pure.

She said nothing as she stood there, eyes transfixed upon my loot share,

Takin' in my cashy credits as if she'd never seen before.

Takin' in my cashy credits as she locked my chamber door,

Silence now and nothing more.

So I waited just a moment, silence Ariel's atonement,

Tryin' not to think the thoughts that in my head I knew she saw.

Those eyes stayed upon the pile, and I wondered for a while,

Why I wanted to defile River Tam upon my floor.

Her lips quirked into a smirk, and my temper sought to shirk,

All the chains I had to work around to suppress my furore.

And I knew then that she'd heard, though my lips spoke not a word,

And I felt my speech grow slurred as those brown eyes held my so sure.

And I felt my speech grow slurred as those brown eyes seemed to lure,

My soul down a road of gore.

"Girl," I muttered in the dark, "Ain't no place for you to hark,"

"Go find yer brother for a lark iffen that's jus' what ya came here for."

Still she stayed beside me bed, brought one hand close to my head,

And my thoughts I knew she read since those brown eyes looked quite assured.

In she leaned to press a kiss and from my lips there came a hiss.

Since I'd die to feel the bliss that those cool lips made me endure.

And then when I asked her 'why', those soft lips parted to try,

To explain actions to my Rim born ears that most abhor.

To explain those ruttin' actions to a Rim boy like a chore,

Silence though and nothing more.

And I watched her sweet expression, seein' not a hint of messin',

With my thoughts or heart or blessin' mind with taunts like days of yore.

She said not a word out loud, but still she seemed so proud,

As her lips proclaimed some vow the contents of which I'm not sure.

And though the crew would chose to kill if they knew how time stood still,

Even so I felt a thrill race down my spine a lightning tore.

And I thought perhaps I'd take it if that's what it took to stake it,

Plus I longed to see her naked, this small woman from the Core.

Plus I longed to see her naked and press kisses to her jaw,

Basic lust and nothing more.

But she smiled at me so tender, a look I returned to sender,

Since her skin felt like a mender of my heart and soul so poor.

And I wondered if she'd let me ask her if the crew would let be,

So I'd know I could accept the gift she'd tried to hand me o'er.

And she heard the thought quite clearly, as her smile grew slightly eerie,

And the room it then a'feared me of the dangers if Mal saw.

But I thought I wouldn't care less since this sexy Reader heiress,

Had picked me without no duress to explain her actions for,

All the kissin' and the sweetness I could feel in each young caress,

And I thought perhaps this princess would accept this pauper poor.

And if the lovely princess would accept this piper poor,

I knew I'd want her and nothing more.

Suddenly an alarm thundered, and my heart began to wonder,

Why the room had dragged me under into a pit of hellish tour.

And I jerked awake from dreamin', bunk around me right now seemin',

Like some prison so demeanin' without her touch to tide me o'er.

As I shook myself awake I wondered whether I could stake,

Some claim the crew'd let me make so they'd show me not the door.

And I slipped from 'neath the sheet, stomach wanting me to eat,

Thinkin' how she'd felt complete, though twas a dream and nothing more.

And as I headed in for food, tellin' jokes the crew found crude,

I thought maybe I was screwed for thinkin' crazy could want more.

I knew then that I was screwed because she'd never want no more,

Rim born merc's don't earn the Core.

Since I'm nuthin' but a merc and sometimes my duties shirk,

Still at least it's honest work even though I broke the law.

Then I saw she snuck a smile and my heart it raced a mile,

Since she'd just turned up the dial on the lust I'd felt before.

And she laughed just like a dove, and I thought maybe it was love,

Cuz her laugh was from above and I'd not felt like this before.

And her hand under the table found my own and she was able,

To wipe away memories of Mabel and every single other whore.

And I thought maybe I knew why doc's smitten through and through,

And why Mal continues to annoy poor 'Nara to the core.

Cuz if this strange warming feelin' that continued my heart stealin',

Was so many thoughts revealin' then perhaps I let it bore.

With so many thoughts revealin' their true nature here for sure,

Love and lust and nothing more.

Deeper into my soul singin', like her laugh through my ears ringin'.

Violent crazy girls beginnin' to make sense like ne'er before.

And so there we sat with hands tight, and the world seemed to itself right,

Cuz the dream was pale in sight of the girl I sat before.

Though I knew there would be words, and some Special Hell proverbs,

I knew that crew perturbs would fail to stop this from it's soar.

Cuz the Reader I would marry, maybe she'd my offspring carry,

And our love would chose to tarry and give happiness galore.

And I knew then I had found somehow in this big 'verse some ground,

Cuz as long as this heart pounds I guess that she's worth fightin' for.

Cuz I know that every smile on her face's worth fightin' for,

Love and lust for evermore.


End file.
